JLaguna eparine La&omtotp 39 



No. 2. Female, three and one-half inches long. Light; entire 

 surface presenting a very speckled appearance. An apical band of 

 yellow on spinous dorsal; no red spots; membrane of soft dorsal 

 greenish; caudal faint salmon color. Spots on sides and belly salmon 

 and silver mixed. 



No. 4. Very dark ; body bands almost black ; fins and entire body 

 except region around pectorals dusky ; entire head, cheeks, and throat 

 nearly black. (In other forms the throat is almost invariably light). 



Not only is this species extremely variable in coloration, but it 

 shows the same tendency, though perhaps not to such an extent, in 

 other characters. The following tables will indicate some of these: 



Fin Bays of Fifteen Specimens. 

 D. IX-16; A. 13, (four specimens). 

 D. IX-17; A. 14, (five specimens). 

 D. IX-17; A. 13, (six specimens). 

 Pyloric caeca usually 7-8, often 9 or even 10. 



Alimentary canal in length of fish in six specimens as follows: 

 1, 1.12, 1.2, 1.24, 1.36, 1.45. In the last case it is seen to be almost 

 one-half longer than in the first. In spite of the difference in length, 

 however, the general position of the canal in the body cavity is fairly 

 constant, the extra length being given by small kinks here and there. 

 The other visceral organs are also quite stable in form and location. 

 (Note the contrast with Gibbonsia elegaus, which, like this species, 

 has many variable characters). 



Figure 9 shows a specimen in which the body walls, and most of 

 the head have been removed, leaving the internal organs from the 

 gills back. The relatively small liver, and relatively large stomach 

 and pyloric cffica are most noticeable, the stomach occupying a large 

 portion of the abdominal cavity. The real proportions of the stomach 

 are better shown in Figure 10, which is an outline of the alimentary 

 canal, including the pharynx with its peculiar patches of teeth. The 

 pertinence of such a large stomach, a comparatively short intestine, 

 and the peculiar pharyngeal teeth pads, is evident upon examination 

 of the food taken. 



Food Mainly Mollusca, Crustacea, and annulate worms, especial- 

 ly the first. Of Mollusca there were found principally limpets, and 

 other small lamellibranchs, and various gasteropods; of Crustacea, 

 many small crabs, and a few amphipods ; of worms, chaetopods. No 

 traces of plant food were found. One specimen 82 mm. long contained 

 among other things an abalone 15 mm. long, and a section of a chfeto- 

 pod 8 mm. wide. 



